The Real Ghostbusters episode 16 review

TheRealGhostbusters

Episode 016

Production number 76003 – 1986-Syndicated

“Play Them Ragtime Boos”

Written by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry

Plot Synopsis:

The spirit of a 40’s Jazz musician named Malachai is trying to use his powers to turn back time and bring back the good old days. With no equipment to help them the Ghostbusters have to fight Jazz with something even more powerful, Rock and Roll!

The Review:

This is a pretty silly episode. The antagonist is pretty dull and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Malachai’s power to turn back time doesn’t seem to serve his purpose at all. His ambition is to lock this small town in the 40s permanently so he can play his music forever, yet he turns back the clock to the civil war at one point, and then further to the prehistoric past.

The Ghostbusters beating Malachai with music is highly comical. Egon makes instruments that will play themselves, but it begs the question why they couldn’t just use the radio? As the boys play their image transforms. They start as 50’s era boppers, then became Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band before finally morphing into hilarious 80s punks. Egon and Peter’s Flock of Seagulls hair is something to behold.

This episode truly doesn’t live up to the standards set by the rest of the series. Give this one a pass.

Best line of the episode:

Egon – “It appears that Ray is in a state of preternaturally induced hypnagogic ataraxia”

To each their own. I know a lot of people remember this episode, probably because it was one of the episodes to get it’s own video release, alas I really don’t think this episode holds up very well and I feel no compunctions about telling people to pass on it.